The incredible life of Roger Federer, the highest-paid tennis player on earth

Roger Federer is the world's most marketable athlete, earning almost £50 million ($60 million) from sponsorship deals in 2016.Edgar Su/ReutersRoger Federer won his 18th career tennis Grand Slam on Sunday, beating longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a nail-biting five-set match at the Australian Open following six months out of the game due to injury.

The former world number one is one of the most successful players of all time. He has won the men's singles tournament at Wimbledon alone seven times since 2003, as well as 24 Masters Tournaments all over the world. Despite his ranking of 17th in the world before the Australian Open, he has now risen back to tenth place.

The 36-year-old is not only one of the most talented athletes on the planet, but also the most profitable. Forbes named him the world's highest-paid tennis player in 2016, earning £54.3 million ($68 million) from professional wins and million-pound sponsorship deals with companies from Nike to Credit Suisse.

He won the Australian Open on Sunday, beating long-time rival Rafael Nadal after six months out of the game due to injury. The victory awarded him more than £2.2 million.

His success trails back to the age of eight, when he started playing tennis. Born in Basel, Switzerland on August 8, 1981, his Swiss father, Robert Federer, and South African mother, Lynette Du Rand, encouraged him to play sport at an early age.

At the age of 14 Federer became the national junior champion in Switzerland. He joined the junior tennis circuit in 1996, and won the junior Wimbledon title in 1998 before turning pro at just 18.

Federer's first big windfall came in 2003, when he won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon against runner-up Mark Philippousis. He was just 21 at the time. He received £575,000 ($714,460) for his victory in the men's singles final.

One year later, he signed a sponsorship deal with watchmaker Maurice Lacroix. Later, Rolex struck an endorsement deal with Federer worth £12 million ($15 million).

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The majority of his income is thanks to endorsement deals and partnerships, which he is known for across the globe, while around £6 million ($7.8 million) of his current earnings come from winning tournaments.

In 2007, he was signed by Gillette, starring in a number of adverts for the company.

However, one of his biggest sponsors is Nike. In 2008, Federer signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with the firm worth almost £96 million ($120 million).

One year later, Federer signed another 10-year contract, this time with Credit Suisse. The firm declined to comment on the contract's value at the time, but it's thought to be worth around £16 million ($20 million).

He's also known for his charity work. He founded the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003, which supports educational projects in southern Africa and Switzerland. The foundation has raised more than £12 million ($15 million) since it began in 2003.

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As a dedicated athlete, he spends a lot of money on his equipment. He has his rackets made by P1, a company which also counts Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as clients.